Versatility blended with luxury

By Graeme Fletcher, Canwest News Service

Originally published: November 5, 2009

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Elora, Ont.: What exactly is the new Honda Accord Crosstour? According to Honda Canada, the vehicle can be likened to a tale of two hats. The first is a ball cap — casual, comfortable and versatile. The second is a top hat — it speaks to Bay Street. The Accord Crosstour is also part sedan and part SUV/CUV but with a twist — it’s fun to drive. That part comes through loud and clear, the vehicle is based on the eighth-generation Accord and is not related to the MDX-based Acura ZDX.

The fun part starts under the hood. With Honda’s familiar 3.5-litre V6 iVTEC engine aboard, the Crosstour enjoys 271 horsepower and 254 pound-feet of torque. That is more than enough power to entertain. The off-the-line acceleration never actually wows the driver, but the V6 is strong and it begins to pile on the speed quickly as the revs build.

This engine also features Honda’s variable cylinder management system, which shuts down two or three of the six cylinders depending upon engine load.

This strategy cuts fuel consumption to 11.5 litres per 100 kilometres in city driving and 7.2 L/100 km on the highway in the front-wheel-drive model.

Under normal circumstances, shutting down cylinders can cause an unseemly resonance in the cabin. To counter this, the Crosstour uses an active engine mount system and active noise cancellation. The combination works because, aside from the green eco light in the instrument cluster, it was very difficult to pick up on when the engine was actually switching between the number of working cylinders.

Power is fired through a five-speed automatic transmission either to the front or to all four wheels through Honda’s optional Real Time all-wheel-drive system. The latter is pretty seamless as it shuttles the power around without much fuss. The system drives the front wheels under normal conditions, sending power rearward as the need arises.

The transmission has both strong and weak points. The strong point is the advanced shift hold system. By monitoring the speeds of the left and right front wheels, it knows when the car is in a corner and so delays the usual upshift, which brings better stability to the drive. The weakness is the lack of any manual mode — no gate, no paddles. Given the rest of the vehicle’s sportier overtones, the engine braking introduced by a snappy downshift would be appreciated.

Ride-wise, the Accord Crosstour feels very much like its sedan sibling. The double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspensions do a very good job of delivering a comfortable ride without the usual body roll when the driver pushes on through a fast corner. Likewise, understeer is far enough out that it will not be an issue. If it does enter the picture, the standard stability control system steps to the fore.

The other thing helping with the driving dynamics is that, despite the Crosstour’s taller ride height, the key undercar components have been mounted as low as possible, which helps to keep the centre of gravity low.

Factor in the light, precise steering and larger four-piston front brakes and the Crosstour rides and drives like a large wagon, not an SUV-cum-CUV.

The Bay Street side becomes evident once behind the wheel. The base EX-L comes with standard leather upholstery, power sunroof and all of the desirable power toys, including an eight-way driver’s seat and a loud and proud 360-watt audio system with USB and auxiliary inputs. It is also finished in typical Honda fashion — tight seams and splashes of faux wood trim talk to the upscale intentions. Only the letterbox-like view through the rear-view mirror disrupts an otherwise elegant interior.

Moving up to the range-topping EX-L with Navigation (one must take the AWD system to move up the model ladder) brings a voice-activated navigation system, backup camera with guidance markings and Bluetooth hands-free cellular phone pairing. This last item should be standard across the board as it is with some much more affordable cars (Kia Forte, for example).

The final part of the Crosstour’s personality is its versatility. The back seat has enough headroom for a six-footer as well as a ton of legroom. It is also wide enough to accommodate three adults as long as they don’t mind being friendly and sharing foot space (there is a fairly large central tunnel intrusion).

Aft of the 70/30-split folding rear seat is 25.7 cubic feet of space with the seats upright and 51.3 cu. ft. with them flat. While the floor is flat, the wheelwell intrusions impinge somewhat on functionality. As for the welcome touches, there is a 1.9 cu.-ft. removable bin beneath the floor and a reversible cargo floor. Flipping the bin’s lid over and doing the same to the side panels allows dirty items to be carried without muddying up the posh carpet.

I went to the Crosstour preview wondering why? I left appreciating it for what it is — a stylish (photos don’t do the vehicle any justice) conveyance that blends luxury and utility with the right sort of driving dynamics. When it arrives — probably late this year or early in 2010 — the Accord Crosstour will start in the mid-$30,000s and move up from there.